Six hostages released in Gaza as hundreds of Palestinians to be freed

Palestinian extremist group Hamas released six more hostages on Saturday, with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners set to be released from Israeli jails in exchange under a fragile ceasefire deal.

The six hostages were turned over to the Red Cross in different parts of Gaza, with 40-year-old Tal Shoham and long-term captive Avera Mengistu, 39, released first in the city of Rafah.

Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert, all in their 20s, were then handed over to Red Cross representatives in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Masked and armed Hamas fighters were present at both handover ceremonies, which were broadcast live on television in Israel and the Arab world.

The hostages were apparently told to smile and wave to the crowds that had assembled amid buildings laid to ruins during more than 16 months of war.

A Red Cross representative was forced to sign handover documents on stage in both cases as loud music played.

The final hostage freed on Saturday was Hisham al-Sayed, 36, who was freed released in Gaza City after almost 10 years in captivity.

According to broadcaster Al Jazeera, Hamas decided not to show his handover as he is an Arab Israeli.

In return for the men’s release, Israel is set to free 602 Palestinian prisoners, including 50 serving life sentences, according to Palestinian information.

Two freed after a decade in captivity

Al-Sayed and Ethiopian-born Mengistu had been held by Hamas for around 10 years, after they had crossed the border into the Gaza Strip voluntarily in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Hamas released recordings of the two during captivity, with Al-Sayed shown lying in a bed with an oxygen mask in 2022. The images caused outrage in Israel.

According to Israeli sources, both men are dealing with psychological issues.

The other four men were abducted on October 7, 2023, by Hamas and other extremist groups during their unprecedented massacre in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths. More than 250 people were taken hostage that day.

More than 48,300 Palestinians have been killed in the war that followed, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.

Shem-Tov, Cohen and Wenkert – aged 22, 27 and 23 years old respectively – were kidnapped at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, while Shoham, who also holds Austrian citizenship, was seized from the nearby Be’eri kibbutz while visiting relatives there.

Hamas released three of the six hostages earlier than planned, after they were originally due to be freed next weekend in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.

The militia wanted to ensure that the release of dozens of its high-ranking members from Israeli prisons did not fail at the last minute, media reported.

Body of Shiri Bibas returned to Israel

Earlier on Saturday, the Nir Oz kibbutz confirmed the identity of Shiri Bibas, whose body was passed to the Red Cross late on Friday.

“The kibbutz announces with deep pain that she was murdered while being held hostage in Gaza,” said a spokeswoman.

Hamas turned over the bodies of the 32-year-old German-Israeli woman’s sons, Ariel and Kfir – who were just 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted – along with another deceased captive, 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz, on Thursday.

However, Israeli forensic experts later determined that the remains in a fourth coffin did not belong to Shiri Bibas as Hamas initially claimed.

The militia later admitted a possible mistake that resulted in the remains of another, unknown woman being transferred. The mix-up – whether deliberate or accidental – caused great outrage in Israel.

Second phase uncertain

Hamas is set to hand over the bodies of four more Israeli hostages next week, in the final step in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The multi-stage ceasefire agreement stipulates that during the first six-week phase, a total of 33 hostages will be gradually released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners.

Since the start of the ceasefire in the Gaza war on January 19, Hamas has released 25 hostages in several rounds, as well as four bodies, including Bibas and her two young sons. In addition, five Thai nationals kidnapped from Israel were released independently of the agreement.

Neither side has yet held any serious negotiations on the second phase of the agreement, as originally planned, according to reports.

The second phase of the agreement should lead to a definitive end to the war and to the release of the remaining hostages, but it is unclear whether it can actually be implemented.

Hamas has reiterated its interest in an agreement on the second phase and a comprehensive exchange of the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners, on condition of a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel is insisting on its war aim of completely destroying Hamas. More than 60 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, about half of whom are no longer believed to be alive.